Collapsible umbrella



May 29, 1956 s. H. EPsTl-:IN

COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA Filed June 23. 1955 FIG.

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INVENTOR STANLEY H. EPSTEIN BY @ma M l#Qq/www:

WAM, ATTOR United States Patent O f'ice COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA Stanley H.Epstein, Far Rockaway, N. Y. Application June 23, 1955, Serial No.517,545

Claims. (Cl. 13S-20) This invention relates to improvements incollapsible umbrellas, and more particularly to a new type ofcollapsible umbrella.

The present invention provides an inexpensive, dlsposable umbrella,characterized by its simplicity in both operation and fabrication.

The umbrella of the present invention is made with a special tubularhandle member having a series of transverse openings near the top, ribshaving their inner ends extending through the aforementioned openingsand bent to an angle, and an actuating member, advantageously a specialtube frictionally mounted within the tubular handle member and adaptedto slide therein. Movement of the actuating member, or an extensionthereof, acts upon the bent inner ends of the ribs, simultaneouslyraising the outer portion of the ribs and opening the umbrella.Returning the actuating member to its previous position permits the bentends of the ribs to swing back when the umbrella is to be closed orcollapsed.

The ribs, preferably constructed of metal or plastic material, have atinner ends which extend through the slots. The use of ilat inner ends,while not essential to the functioning of the umbrella, advantageouslygives improved leverage when the umbrella is to be raised, and similarlyprevents the ribs from moving unsteadily within the slots.

Dilferent forms of the actuating member can be located within thetubular handle member to functionally act upon the inner ends of theribs when opening and closing the umbrella. I have found it advantageousto construct the actuating member from a tube, preferably cardboard,with openings corresponding to but somewhat larger than the slots of thetubular handle member. When the umbrella is in a collapsed position andthe openings are aligned, the inner ends of the ribs extend through thealigned openings; downward movement of the actuating member will causethe inner ends of the ribs to swing so as to open the umbrella.

The tubular handle member and the actuating member together form theumbrella handle, but a third element, preferably an inner tube, isadvantageously provided to slide into the tubular handle when theumbrella is collapsed. Withdrawing the inner tube allows it to form anextension of the handle when the umbrella is to be raised.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown a specic embodiment of theinvention. In this showing:

Fig. l is a perspective, with parts cut away, of the raised umbrella;

Fig. 2 is a perspective, with parts cut away, of the collapsed umbrella;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a fragment of the collapsedumbrella, illustrating the position of one of the umbrella ribs;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a fragment of the raised umbrella,showing the position of one of the extended ribs; and

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5--5 of Pig. 4.

2,747,592 .Patented May 29, 1956 Referring to the drawings, thereference numeral '1 designates the tubular handle member havingV nearits top a series of transverse openings or slots 2, which areperpendicularto the longitudinal axis and spaced at a dis'- tance fromthe top and equidistantly about the circumference of the tube.

The actuating member shown is tube 3, frictionally mounted within thetubular handle member and adapted to slide therein. Tube S'possesses aseries of openings 4 which correspond to but are somewhat largerthan'the slots 2 in the tubular handle member. When the umbrella is in acollapsed position, the openings 4 are directly registered over theslots 2 in the tubular handle member.

The actuating tube is provided withl a circular discS, to prevent waterfrom entering the tube.

A plurality of umbrella ribs 6, whose inner ends 6a are bent to anangle, are attached to the tubular handle member by extending the innerends 6a through the slots 2 of the tubular handle member. The bent innerends 6a are at, to give added leverage when the umbrella is to beopened. In addition, flat inner ends prevent the umbrella ribs frommoving unsteadily within the slots 2.

A cover 7, of suitable material, is supported lby the ribs and aixed tothe tubular handle member by the tape 8.

A third telescopic tube 9 nests within the actuating tube and serves asan extension of that member. Tube'9 is fitted with collar 10 as ameansfor engaging collar 11 at the bottom of the actuating tube. Whenl tube 9is drawn out, it forms an extension of the umbrella length.

To raise the umbrella, tube 9 is withdrawn until it engages and pullsdown upon the actuating tube. The downward movement of the actuatingtube swings the inner ends 6a of the ribs between the actuating tube andthe tubular handle member. This wedging of the bent inner ends betweenthe actuating tube and the tubular handle member, as schematicallyillustrated in Fig. 4, raises the ribs and opens the umbrella.

Collapsing or closing the umbrella requires only that the actuating tubebe pushed back into the tubular handle member, allowing the ends of theribs to swing back into the aligned openings 4, as shown in Fig. 3.

By properly constructing the respective tubular members, the resultantfrictional engagement of these members adequately serves to keep theumbrella in an open or extended position when desired.

The area of the umbrella cover varies with the length of the ribs. As apractical matter, I have found it desirable to make the tubular handlemember 1 of a length approximately equal to that of the ribs. Thus, whentube 9 is telescoped into the handle, the collapsed umbrella presents acompact appearance.

The tubular members are advantageously manufactured from cardboard. Theribs are constructed of a stiff material, such as wire or plastic, whileany suitably waterproofed material may be used for the umbrella cover.

I claim:

l. A collapsible umbrella comprising a tubular handle member having aplurality of transverse openings near its upper end, an actuating memberfrictionally mounted within the tubular handle member and adapted toslide therein, at least one additional element mounted within theactuating member and adapted to extend the length of the handle, aplurality of ribs whose inner ends are bent to an angle and extendthrough the transverse openings into the tubular handle member, wherebydownward movement of the actuating member will act upon the inner endsof the ribs to open the umbrella.

2. A collapsible umbrella comprising a tubular handle member having aplurality of transversetopenings near its upper end, a tube frictionallynicunterluwitliin the tubular handle member and adaptedl to slidetherein, said i i 3 tube having a' plurality of openings in alignmentwith the openings of the tubular handle member when the umbrella is in acollapsed position, a plurality of ribs whose inner ends are bent to anangle and extend through the aligned openings when the umbrella is in acollapsed position, the

arrangement being suchthat downward movement of the inner tube willcause the inner bent ends of therurnbrella tubular handle member,thereby causing'the ribs to swing up and open the umbrella. r 3. Acollapsible umbrella comprising a tubular handle member having aplurality of transverse openings near its upper end, a tube frictionallymounted within the tubular handle member and adapted to slide therein,said tube having a plurality of transverse openings registering with theopenings of the tubular handleV member when the umbrella is in acollapsed position, at least one additional element mounted within theinner tube and adapted to extend the length of the handle, a pluralityof ribs whose inner ends are bent to an angle and extend through the`ribs to become wedged between the inner tube and the *f tubefrictionally mounted within the outer tube and adapted to slide therein,said middle tube having a plurality of openings in alignment with theopenings of the outertube when the umbrella is in a collapsed position,at least one inner tube mounted within the middle tube and adapted toextend the length of the outer tube, a plurality of ribs whose innerends are bent to an angle and extend through the aligned openings whenthe umbrella is in a collapsed position, the arrangement being such thatdownward movement of themiddle tube will force the inner bent ends ofthe umbrella ribs to become wedged between the middle tube and the outertube, thereby causing the ribs to swing out and open the umbrella.

5. A collapsible umbrella comprising a tubular handle member having aplurality of transverse openings perpendicular to the longitudinal axisand spaced at a distance from the top and equidistantly about thecircumference, a tube frictionally mounted within the tubular handlemember and adapted to slide therein, said inner tube having a pluralityof openings in alignment with the openings ofthe tubular handle memberwhen the umbrella is in a collapsed position, a plurality of ribs whoseinner ends are bent to an angle and extend through the aligned openingswhen the umbrella is in a collapsed position, the arrangement being suchthat downward movement of the inner tube will force the inner bent endsof the umbrella ribs to become wedged between the inner tube and thetubular handle member, thereby causing the ribs to swing out and openthe umbrella.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,748,347 Horowitz Feb. 25, 1930 1,797,019 Polansky Mar. 17, 19312,700,390 Poston Jan. 25, 1955

